For the first time since December 2008, Beaufort County’s unemployment rate fell below 10 percent in August, according to information released Wednesday by the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis Division.

The county’s unemployment rate fell from 10.7 percent in July to 9.9 percent in August, a decline of 0.8 percent. The last time the county’s unemployment rate was below 10 percent was in December 2008, when it was at 9.4 percent, said Larry Parker, spokesman for the N.C. Division of Employment Security.

“Even though we’re showing a nice improvement in the rate, when you look at what happened, the primary difference — we’ve got 309 people less employed this month than last. We see 538 people less participating in the labor market,” said Neal Anderson, manager of the Division of Employment Security’s Washington office, on Wednesday. “I think that’s what’s making our numbers look, I think, better than what they really are is people dropping out of the labor search, the labor market. To me, that what they (numbers) say.”

North Carolina’s unemployment rate fell from 9.1 percent in July to 8.3 percent in August, a decline of 0.8 percent, reports LEAD. All but two of the state’s 100 counties saw their unemployment rates decrease from July to August. Hoke County’s unemployment rate increased. Gates County’s jobless rate remained the same.

In August, the county’s work force totaled 20,512 people, according to LEAD. Of that number, 2,021 people were unable to secure employment, but 18,491 people were working,

Beaufort County’s work force in July totaled 21,071 people, according to DWS. Of that number, 18,825 people were working, but 2,246 people were unable to find jobs, according to LEAD.

Hyde County’s unemployment rate fell from 7.3 percent in July to 7.1 percent in August, according to LEAD. Martin County’s unemployment rate declined from 10.8 percent in July to 10 percent in August. Washington County’s jobless rate fell from 11.9 percent in July to 10.7 percent in August.

During August, just one of the state’s 100 counties had an unemployment rate of 5 percent or less, according to LEAD. Seventy-seven counties had jobless rate between 5 percent and 10 percent during July. Twenty-two counties had unemployment rates above 10 percent, according to LEAD.

In August, Scotland County had the highest jobless rate in the state at 15.2 percent. For August, Currituck County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 4.1 percent.

The jobless figures released by LEAD do not include unemployed people whose unemployment insurance benefits expired and who are not listed as unemployed. Factor in those people and a county’s true jobless rate is higher.